December 16

"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto your name give glory, for your mercy, and for your truth's sake." Psalm 115:1

Many of God's dear children cannot get much beyond gentle intimations of his mercy, passing touches of his gracious hand, and softenings of heart under a sense of undeserved goodness and love; yet they feel sensibly relieved by what their faith thus lays hold of and brings in, and give glory to God. Sometimes again, as they hear the preached word and get a blessing under, it, or some precious promise comes home to their soul with divine power, or they are favored in secret prayer, and light and life break in upon their mind, they see such a glory in what is thus made known to them, that they glorify God for what they see and feel. But more especially when the way of salvation is opened up to them; when Christ is revealed to their soul by the power of God; when they see that wondrous plan unfolded, how God can be just, and yet the justifier of him who believes in Jesus; then as they view in the greatness of the mystery of the Person of Christ the blessed solution of the problem which has so exercised their mind, they freely and fully give all the glory to God. "Lord," they cry, "who and what am I, that you should have had pity and compassion upon me, should have touched my heart by your grace, should have planted your fear in my breast, led me to pray and seek your face, and listened to my feeble cries, should thus have given me to hope in your mercy, and blessed my soul with a manifestation of your dear Son? Oh, who and what am I to be thus favored, when thousands are left to perish in their sins? Oh, how glorious are you! what a good God! how your mercy melts my heart, and your goodness softens my soul! To your name be all the honor and praise, both now and forever and ever."

Here is giving glory to God. Thus, true faith will always give God the glory; will never take an atom of its own praise to itself, but will ascribe the whole glory to God as its sole author and finisher, until blessings here end in blessings hereafter, and streams of grace on earth issue into the boundless ocean of glory in heaven.

December 16